For Love or Family
by winterlights13
Summary: The Volturi let Eleazar go centuries ago, thinking he would come back when they needed him. Now, they want him to return. The other members of his coven won't let this happen and Tanya goes to the Volturi to persuade them. When she arrives in Volterra, she finds something she never thought she would.
1. An unexpected phone call

**Most of these characters and the Twilight universe belong to Stephenie Meyer. Have fun reading and please tell me what you think!**

"I think Kate and Garrett are back," Tanya said without looking up, turning the page of the book she was reading. Eleazar looked up from his newspaper, his eyes yellow with an orange undertone.  
"I think so, too."  
They could hear the footsteps clearly now. It wouldn't be long before they would come in.  
"Where's Carmen, by the way?" Tanya asked.  
"She went to the grocery store," Eleazar said with a smile in his eyes.  
"Again? You'd think we have enough food to start an orphanage by now," Tanya chuckled.  
"I guess she wants the façade to be as good as possible, she's trying to accommodate to this lifestyle as well as she can."  
They heard Kate and Garrett come in through the back door. Tanya put her book down and greeted them in a low voice. There was no need to speak loudly; they would hear.  
Kate came into the living room first, looking very sullen.  
"What's wrong?" Eleazar asked.  
"You'll see what's wrong," Kate sighed. She turned around to glower at Garrett, who was still behind her. He sighed too and walked pas Kate, into the living room. The look on his face was a mix of guilt and rebellion. His eyes were bright red.  
"Garrett!" Tanya exclaimed accusingly. She and Eleazar were both on their feet in the blink of an eye.  
"I'm sorry!" Garrett snapped. "I'm not used to this diet yet. It's hard after centuries of eating _normally_. I lost control for a few seconds."  
Tanya accusingly looked at Kate.  
"There was no stopping him," Kate said apologetically. "Believe me, I tried. I shocked him a few times. Nothing worked, and I couldn't keep up with him anyway."  
"Why were there even humans around?" Eleazar asked.  
"I don't know," Kate sighed. "There weren't any hiking trails anywhere, and I didn't notice anything until Garrett noticed them too."  
"Them?" Tanya shrieked. She walked up to Garrett. "How many?" she demanded.  
"Two," he moaned. He looked up at the ceiling.  
"Is the hearing over? Can I go now?"  
"No," Tanya replied furiously.  
Eleazar walked quickly towards her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Cut him some slack, Tanya. It's hard and he's been trying for months. This is the first time he slipped up."  
Tanya glared at Garrett. The rebellion had vanished from his face.  
"I am sorry. I really tried, but I was about to attack a bear. I wasn't thinking... with my mind." He let his hand run through his hair. Kate gave him a comforting smile and touched his cheek.  
"You'll be alright. It gets easier after a few decades."  
"I know," Garrett sighed. Everyone could see the sacrifice in his eyes. This lifestyle was hard for him. But he tried, for Kate. Tanya's glare softened a bit.  
"Alright then," she said. "But if it happens again, you'll have a problem with me. We don't want to be too suspicious – we'd be forced to move away."  
"I'll try," Garrett promised.  
The phone rang. Kate answered it while everyone relaxed slightly and Tanya and Eleazar went back to what they were doing. Garrett sat down on the couch and stared at the wall.  
The short moment of piece was interrupted when they noticed Kate's expression becoming more and more alarmed. She was staring out the window while clutching the phone. She was speaking very softly, so softly they couldn't hear most of what she was saying. After a few minutes, she hung up. She was still like a statue, still holding the phone in her hand.  
"What's wrong, Kate?" Tanya asked in a worried tone.  
Kate shivered. That alarmed them; there wasn't much that could make her shiver.  
"The Volturi," she whispered. Everyone in the room froze.  
"What do they want?" Kate whispered back.  
"Eleazar," Kate breathed almost inaudibly. "Alice Cullen was on the phone. She... saw them."  
"They want him back?" Garret said with disbelief.  
"Yes." Kate still resembled a statue, as did the rest of them. "They'll send a few members of the Guard to get him."  
The silence was broken by Carmen, who opened the door and stopped in the doorway when she saw the faces of her family. She didn't need to ask.  
"They want Eleazar back," Garrett mumbled.  
Carmen's expression turned to shock. "The Volturi?" she whispered. "Why?"  
"We don't know," Kate answered. "Alice Cullen told us. She only sees the outcomes of decisions, not the reasons."  
"But... They haven't needed someone in the Guard in years to identify the abilities of others," Carmen said. She quickly walked towards her mate and took his hand. "What do they want Eleazar for now?"  
"Who knows," Eleazar said flatly. "Maybe they're recruiting again. Maybe some member of the Guard committed betrayal. It wouldn't be the first time a member of the Guard leaked secret information..." his voice died away. He seemed less shocked than the rest of them.  
"Eleazar..." Carmen whispered. She would have had tears in her eyes if that were possible.  
"I've served them before. Maybe in a few decades, they'll let me go again," he said bravely.  
"No!" Tanya exclaimed. "We're not going to just give you to them!"  
"Tanya, you have to," Eleazar said calmly. "If they want something, they're not afraid of hurting anyone to get it. I have to go, to keep you all safe."  
Carmen let a moan escape from her lips.  
"I'll go," Tanya blurted out before thinking it through. "I'll talk to them."  
"What? No!" Kate said. "You're our sister. We're not going to lose you like that, Tanya." She added softly in Slovak.  
"We can't lose Eleazar without losing Carmen." Tanya retorted in English.  
"She can be alone for a few decades," Eleazar said with pain in his voice.  
"Who says they'll let you go that quickly? And if any of you go, we're risking losing them and their mate. I'm the only one who doesn't have one: I can go without risking anyone else's life." Tanya was becoming more confident with her decision every second.  
"Do you really believe that?" Kate said, sounding hurt. "We're not going to lose another sister like we lost..."  
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone's thoughts flickered to Irina.  
Tanya tensed. She was sure they didn't want to lose another member of the coven to the Volturi's love for revenge. Pain shot through her with the thought of Irina. It only made her more determined to keep the rest of her coven safe.  
"Please," she said. "I can talk to them. I could persuade them."  
"Nothing you say is going to help," Eleazar said. "They're very stubborn, as I said."  
Tanya pursed her lips. She was going to go, and they couldn't stop her.


	2. Travelling

"Tanya, don't do this," Kate begged as she stood beside her sister, helplessly watching her pack her suitcase.  
"I have to," Tanya said without looking up. "It's the only way to keep you all safe. Who knows how much time we have before they come."  
"It could be months. There's no need for you to go rushing into anything," Kate replied. She'd been trying to persuade her to stay for the last four hours. She'd pleading with her relentlessly, but Tanya's mind was made up.  
Then the phone rang. Kate sighed and answered it. Tanya could hear it was Alice this time, because Kate was standing close to her.  
"Kate," Alice said.  
"What is it? Did you see something else?"  
"Yes," Alice answered, sounding worried. "They've decided on when they're going to come to get Eleazar."  
Kate and Tanya both held their breath.  
"They're coming next week. They must be in a hurry."  
Tanya eyed her sister meaningfully.  
"Thank you," Kate said, standing still like a statue.  
"You're welcome. Maybe one of you can go there first, so they don't come to get anyone. It would me more dangerous to have the whole guard near your family."  
_Thank you, Alice_, Tanya thought. She shot her sister another persuasive look.  
Kate sighed, thanked Alice again and hung up the phone.  
"See? I should go."  
"Well... Maybe." Kate was obviously thinking of the idea of letting Garrett near any Volturi guard members. Garrett, who was always keen to pick a fight.

After a night spent on convincing the other coven members, Tanya went to the nearest Alaskan airport and got a ticket. Her flight was delayed, and she waited anxiously until she could board. Vampires didn't usually feel impatient, but she wanted to get there as soon as possible. What if they were already preparing their trip?

It was a 10-hour flight. While many other passengers slept, Tanya looked out the window and tried to formulate her speech to the Volturi. She needed her words to be powerful and convincing, but she'd never been one for speeching. That was Kate's cup of tea. But she had Garret now, and of course they wouldn't risk losing each other. Tanya was the only one who could do it.

In Rome, she took a connection to an airport close to Volterra. She'd have to run the last part of the way, but if she ran through the forest, no one would see her.  
She wasn't used to seeing so many humans at once. Alaska was very sparsely populated. Sometimes, she had to focus to restrain herself. But her many experiences of loving human men had trained her well.

As soon as the plane landed, she rushed to get outside, which caused the annoyance of some fellow passengers. She got her suitcase and walked towards the forest. She knew where it was; Eleazar had explained it. As soon as she got to the trees, she was running.

-  
"You can stay here until they are ready to receive you," Heidi said in a blunt tone.  
Tanya took a step forward and saw a small room with stone walls, fluorescent lighting and a wooden desk and chair in the corner. There were no windows. The room stood in sharp contrast to the rest of the building, where marble and beautiful ornaments were prominent.  
"Thank you," Tanya answered in the same tone, and Heidi left her alone.  
She entered the room and stood there for a while. Then, she sat down. After a millennium, you got used to waiting. And it wasn't as bad as it had been in the airport; at least now, she was here. She didn't know how long it usually took for Aro to decide they were ready to see a guest. She had no idea whether she would be in here for days, months or even years. As she sat on the wooden chair and stared at the wall, she heard footsteps in the hallway. She could tell they were human; a vampire's footsteps were usually much more subtle.  
Her door was opened and behind her, a soft and light voice said: "Can I offer you anything to drink?"


	3. The receptionist

Tanya turned around. The voice belonged to a girl with long, light brown hair, soft, red lips and ivory skin. Only the slight red tint in her cheeks betrayed that she was human. Even though she had a light skin colour, her face looked Italian. But what most stood out were her eyes: they were dark brown, almost black, and they had a sense of mystery to them.  
Tanya had to blink a few times to force herself to reply.  
"No, thank you," she said softly, shuddering when she realised what the girl had meant by 'something to drink'.  
The girl seemed to be just as mesmerised by Tanya as Tanya was by her. The red tint in her cheeks grew more pronounced and Tanya felt the well-known sting of the thirst in her throat.  
"Do you... work here?" she asked, ignoring the burning sensation.  
"Yes," she replied. She quickly and professionally composed herself. "I'm the receptionist." Her Italian accent was clearly audible.  
Tanya had heard about this before. The Volturi hired ambitious humans sometimes, who were weak, convenient and easy to get rid of. Humans who hoped to become one of them.  
But this girl was nothing like what Tanya had imagined the Volturi would choose. She had thought of overly ambitious humans, greedy for power and eternal life. The receptionist looked fragile and kind-hearted. The way she held her shoulders betrayed that she felt uncomfortable, or even afraid. Tanya saw her thoughtful eyes looking curiously at her. She was probably wondering why her eyes were a soft gold instead of blood red, as she was used to. Was she scared by her unusual look?  
The girl still stood in the doorway, hesitating. Tanya realised she should probably give her permission to leave, and she opened her mouth to dismiss her. But she couldn't. She closed her mouth again and thought about asking the hundreds of questions she had. She knew she shouldn't scare the girl away. She asked the most obvious question she had.  
"What's your name?"  
"It's Clara, miss," she replied immediately. "Are you sure you're not thirsty? We have all kinds of-"  
"No thank you. I'm fine," Tanya said quickly. "I'll hunt tomorrow night."  
"We prefer you don't hunt in this area," Clara said automatically. "That right is only for-"  
"Don't worry, I won't hunt their prey," Tanya replied. "My taste is restricted to bears and deer."  
She smiled as she saw the shocked look on Clara's face. Her eyes were burning with questions.  
She recovered more quickly than Tanya would have thought she was capable of.  
"Bears are a protected species here, miss," she said professionally. "But I'm sure that won't hold you back. And there are plenty of deer in this area."  
"Thank you," Tanya said and she saw the girl shiver as she gave her another smile. Was it fear? She didn't look so afraid anymore. She was calmer.  
A cell phone rang. Clara got it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. Her attitude changed immediately; her hands started shaking and her eyes moved to the corridor and back to Tanya in an alarmed way.  
"I have to go," she said hoarsely. When she let the cell phone slide back into her pocket, Tanya could read the name of the caller on the screen. The Volturi probably needed her for something. The fear of this fragile looking girl unleashed a strong emotion inside Tanya. She felt the need to protect her. She knew the Volturi didn't let their humans live for a very long time. She'd heard of Gianna, the previous receptionist. She shuddered when she realised that Gianna had been very young according to Alice, who had told her what they'd seen in Volterra. And Gianna had been replaced, as Tanya could see now. When would Clara's life be ended? She suddenly felt the urge to take Clara and run away, back to Alaska where they wouldn't find her.  
But she quickly reminded herself that she had a purpose here. She had to save her family. And the Volturi would find out where she was anyway, and that would make it even more unsafe for everyone.  
She watched Clara walking away as quickly as she could without looking back, and she felt a stab in her chest.  
What was this? She'd never experienced anything like this before. Why would she be worried about some human girl? This receptionist would be gone – she forced herself to think the words – in only a few months. Tanya was a vegetarian vampire, but she couldn't prevent the death of every innocent human.  
And if she wanted to work for the Volturi, she couldn't be that innocent. A small part of her didn't believe that Clara was here for the same reason Gianna had been here, but she ignored it. She had a task here, and she needed to stay as focused as possible.


	4. Thirst

Days passed without any news. Tanya accepted that she would have to stay here for a while before she could talk to the Volturi. At least that meant that the situation regarding her family wasn't seen as very urgent. With so much free time spent in a small room, she had more than enough time to think about things. To think about Clara, to be exact. And to wonder.  
What was a creature like her doing here? Even in the short minutes she'd spent with her, she had seen that Clara was good. Pure. Nothing like the people who normally worked here.  
Every time she let her mind wander, her thoughts went to this unresolved mystery, and every time she caught herself, she stopped thinking about it, reminding herself of her mission. To go back to wondering later.  
Her thirst grew. One evening she decided to go hunting.  
The sound of her footsteps echoed off the marble-covered walls, as she knew that she would soon be tasting fresh air in her mouth. The air inside tasted like it had been the same for centuries – which was probably the case. She felt the tension of feeling locked up get less and less.  
And at the same time, a different kind of tension was creeping up on her. She knew the receptionist could be sitting at her desk. Her working hours were probably quite long. Guests often arrived at night. She wondered when the human staff even slept.  
Why was she feeling tense about seeing her? What didn't she want to face? How fragile this innocent human looked in this hostile environment? Probably. Years of vegetarianism had made her way too soft. She'd seen so many humans die. One more human who probably would shouldn't affect her like this. She walked on with determination. The hallways she had to walk trough were long, but it only took her mere seconds. She did slow down her pace as she got closer to the exit. She didn't want to scare anyone with her speed.  
A voice in the back of her mind said that her speed probably wasn't the scariest thing anyone had seen around here, but she ignored it. Nothing wrong with being polite.  
Clara's desk came in sight as the hallway curved towards the exit. She was there. She was concentrating on a pile of paper on the desk in front of her. Her long brown hair fell around her face and touched the paper. She frowned in concentration and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.  
Tanya slowed down even more and almost came to a standstill, as she stared at Clara. The girl looked like a small fairy, glowing brightly in this dark space which was possessed by vampires. She belonged in a different world.  
Tanya came a bit closer, quiet as a fox approaching its target. She wasn't sure why she was drawn to this fragile human. She should just walk outside. But she kept moving in Clara's direction without knowing what was pulling her there.  
Clara was still focused on her papers, her lips moving slightly, forming the words she was reading. She took a pen and almost started writing, then she put it against her lips with a thoughtful expression.  
Tanya witnessed her silent beauty in awe. She wasn't sure she'd seen beauty as pure as this in her too long life. She didn't want to break this moment of serenity. What was it that compelled her to take care of this girl? Just as she was contemplating leaving before Clara noticed her, Clara looked up and was obviously startled by Tanya standing there like a statue - but she quickly composed herself.  
"Is there anything I can do for you?"  
"No," Tanya answered automatically. "I was just... on my way to go hunting." She took a few more hesitant steps toward the desk.  
Clara seemed to relax a little. "Okay. When do you think you'll be back? My shift ends in three hours. That's the time the doors close."  
As if doors would hold any visitor back. They both knew it was just a formality to have a reception desk. The Volturi were nothing if not traditional.  
"I'll make sure I'm back by then. I won't go far."  
Clara smiled at her dazzlingly. "All right. Is there anything you need in your room?"  
"No, thank you. I have everything I need."  
They were both looking at each other. Neither of them said anything, but it was not an awkward silence. Expectation filled the air. Just like the sweet scent that came of Clara's throat. Tanya swallowed and took a step back. "I should go."  
Clara nodded wordlessly and stared after Tanya as she took off into the dark night.


	5. Secret desires

Tanya felt her running pace slowing down as she approximated the Volturi's  
headquarters. She felt revived with the fresh blood in her body, but the clean air hadn't done as much good as she'd hoped.  
Even though it had tasted better than the dusty air inside, she'd missed something. She felt it coming back to her as she walked up the steps to the door which was still open, just as the receptionist had promised.  
"Hello, miss," Clara stood up greeted her politely as she walked in.  
"Hello, Clara," Tanya answered as she wondered if she should address her more politely. It just felt natural to call her by her first name. It might as well  
go both ways.  
"You can call me Tanya, if you want," she offered. Clara smiled politely.  
"Thank you, miss - Tanya."  
They both stood there. Tanya didn't want to go back to her small room just yet.  
She took a step towards Clara's desk.  
"You must be tired. Aren't your shifts very long?"  
"Yes, they are," Clara answered with a smile. "The Volturi sometimes forget-"  
she quickly stopped speaking and looked around anxiously.  
"No one's here," Tanya assured her. "I understand. They forget that their human  
staff has certain needs."  
Clara blushed. She was clearly uncomfortable talking about the Volturi in their own space. She seemed terrified of them. And rightly so. Poor girl.  
"I'm the human staff, technically. I'm the only one," she said, tucking a  
strand of hair behind her ear.  
"You are?" Tanya took another step closer.  
"Yes. Not many humans want to..." her sentence trailed off.  
Tanya decided to ask what she'd been wondering, now that she had the chance.  
"Why exactly did you start working here?"  
Clara bit her lip nervously. "Well..."  
She seemed to be making a decision.  
"I used to live... with my uncle. Me and my little sister. Because my parents..."  
She hesitated. Tanya smiled at her encouragingly and took another step forward, contently noticing that the delicious scent that came off Clara's skin had less influence on her than before her hunting trip.  
"My sister was..." Clara stopped talking and Tanya saw a tear sparkling on her  
cheek. Without thinking, she rushed towards her and embraced her. Clara's body  
felt warm against her granite skin.  
"I'm sorry," Tanya whispered as she wiped the tear from Clara's cheek. "Never mind. I didn't mean to hurt you."  
"No, it's my fault," Clara sobbed, looking down. "I shouldn't let myself get carried away. I'll be fine if I can just..." and she looked up into Tanya's  
eyes.  
Instantly, she felt an electric current running through her body, as if Clara's gaze shot right through her. She gasped. She hadn't felt anything like this  
since the day she was reborn.  
And still, Clara's black eyes were looking into hers. Tanya felt a magnetic pull that was different from the bloodlust that was always burning in the  
background. Yes, this was something else entirely.  
They were standing much too close together. She waited for Clara to freeze and recoil from her cold touch, but she didn't. She seemed to be just as shocked. Maybe she was afraid. But she didn't look as if she was.  
Without thinking, Tanya leaned forward. She could smell the fruity scent of Clara's hair and she heard her light heartbeat speeding up.  
She closed her eyes as her stone lips locked with hers. The girl felt infinitely fragile as Tanya's hands caressed her soft face.  
It didn't last long. She had just enough sense left to lean back and open her eyes. Clara stared at her, bewildered. Tanya stared back with wide eyes, deciding to leave before either of them screamed in shock and betrayed them.  
She was gone before Clara could blink.


End file.
